Chiwenga gets tough on aspiring MPs, elections

Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga has urged Zanu-PF party members to accept primary election results and warned that he would not hesitate to travel to areas with conflict and restore order.

Addressing a provincial co-ordinating committee (PCC) at Malwate in Marondera on Sunday, Chiwenga, who was visiting his home province for the first time since his elevation to the Presidium, urged members to accept defeat.

"If one emerges the winner, all other candidates in that constituency should shake his hand and move forward. If I get to hear that there are fights somewhere, then it will be trouble. I will come there myself. Are we together? We need people who understand. If you are defeated then accept it," he said.

The former army general told the gathering that party members should elect candidates who can develop constituencies.

"Do not elect a clueless candidate. Look for someone who is going to develop that area, look for someone who participates during parliamentary sessions and someone who is of great importance to national development," he said.

Chiwenga also urged party members to desist from abusing his name and those of senior party officials to settle political scores.

A number of politicians in the province have been moving around abusing Chiwenga's name, claiming that they were his "messengers" to position themselves.

"[Zanu-PF Mashonaland East provincial chairman Joel Biggie] Matiza and his executive are the ones who run the show here in Mashonaland East. But if you relax and leave others to win in this province, we will ask you that why are you destroying our history. But we are not there to meddle in how they run the province. This is what we call building a nation.

"If you hear someone coming to you saying [Sydney] Sekeramayi has said this, [Health minister David] Parirenyatwa has said this, just report that person to the police. If you hear someone saying Chiwenga has said this, I do not belong here and I do not do such things. We do not want to be involved in name-dropping," he said.